Groundbreaking technology set to enhance green credentials of textiles

Colorifix is the first company to develop an entirely biological process to create and fix dyes onto textiles for the fashion industry, inspired by the way colours are produced in nature.

The dyeing industry is one of the largest water consumers in the world and uses toxic and highly polluting chemicals. However, Colorifix can source and replicate true colours from nature. Via DNA sequencing, the company can work out what encodes the instructions to make a pigment, then translate that message into engineered microorganisms, which can be used to both grow and transfer the colour onto fabric.

Colorific identifies colours that already exist in animals, plants, insects or microbes, and through examining existing literature or using bioinformatic tools (rather than working with a physical specimen) the company can identify the exact genes and enzymes responsible for the production of the targeted colour.

The resulting engineered microorganisms can not only produce the colour but also deposit and fix it onto the textile in one integrated process.

The next step is growing the engineered microorganisms in liquid culture using fermentation. This is the same process used to make beer, so byproducts of the sugar industry can be used here. By the observation that mould can stain surfaces and fabrics, Colorifix technology is able to permanently transfer colorants onto fibres without any of the toxic additives typically needed.

The dyeing takes place at just 40°C, as opposed to up to 130°C which is common in today’s industry. In addition, compared to traditional methods, the Colorifix process uses 65% less chemicals, 78% less water and 51% less natural gas.

Ecovative is revolutionising the fashion industry with low impact leatherlike materials and high performance foams, producing materials grown from nature and returned to nature.

The surge in plastic leather alternatives highlights the fashion and automotive industries’ efforts to find more planet positive and ethical materials. However, the environmental impact of these alternatives – especially those derived from fossil fuels – underscores the need for continued innovation and the development of truly sustainable materials.

Ecovative’s AirMycelium technology harnesses the rapid, natural growth of mycelium to create Forager hides and foams. This process allows for vertical farm cultivation that taps into existing mushroom growing infrastructure. In less than two weeks the mycelium growth results in durable, leather-like materials and foams, ready for application in various industries without the environmental toll of conventional methods.

These hides and foams could reduce CO2 emissions by 38% when compared to conventional materials, and one acre of land can grow >2 million sq ft of Forager hides and foams annually.

Ecovative’s mycelium-based Forager products offer an ethical, cruelty-free alternative that champions a circular economy. By leveraging low-cost plant-based inputs that decompose naturally, these materials minimise environmental impact. This approach not only meets industry demand with eco-efficient solutions but also revolutionises material production by reducing reliance on land, water, fossil fuels and energy.

Epoch Biodesign is a biotech start-up using enzymes to create infinite recycling processes for complex textile and plastic waste materials, starting with Nylon.

From comfy yoga pants to performance apparel, Nylon enables countless fashion and performance applications, but the material never sees a second life. Existing recycling processes are energy-intensive and cannot process the complexity of most blended Nylon materials. The inability to recycle one of the most greenhouse-gas-intensive materials in the fashion supply chain perpetuates the destructive extraction and refinement of fossil carbon, leading to hundreds of millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Nylon is one of the most carbon-emitting polymers in the fashion industry and just two per cent is recycled today. When incinerated, it emits toxic gases like hydrogen cyanide, and when landfilled it decays and pollutes the environment. By scaling an infinite textile-to-textile recycling process for blended Nylons, Epoch Biodesign’s solution can ensure a more sustainable future for the industry’s use and disposal of this important material, helping to achieve key circularity and climate goals.

Epoch Biodesign has developed a unique, low-temperature recycling process for blended Nylon materials. They combine AI and modern biotechnology with billions of years of evolution to design enzymes that can break down waste material into virgin-quality monomer building blocks, which can be infinitely reused to make new Nylon. Their process can handle a huge variety of pre- and post-consumer wastes and produces a product that is indistinguishable from fossil-derived polymers.

Unlike the harsh catalysts involved in other recycling processes, Epoch’s enzymes are organic molecules and can be composted at the end of their end of life.

Nanoloom is engineering never-before-seen high performing, biodegradable and recyclable fibres from graphene and other smart materials. Combining a range of technologies from AI to biomimicry, its innovation extends beyond textiles to industries such as aerospace, automotive and appliances.

There are over 14 million tonnes of plastics in our oceans. Microplastics have been found in our natural environments, food systems and now even our brains. With over 14 million tonnes of microplastics in our oceans, they are now prevalent in animals like fish. It’s estimated that 85% of the microplastics found in our oceans come from textiles used in fashion.

Beyond its impact on our environments and wildlife, recent studies underscored the severity of the microplastics problem. Microplastics in blood can cause blood clots, increasing cardiovascular risk factors. Preventing microplastics from entering our environments will be key to averting these risks to broader human health.

Originally engineered for nerve regeneration and wound healing purposes, Nanoloom has developed fibres, yarns and fabrics from biodegradable, non-toxic and biocompatible graphene-based nanomaterials. Graphene is a single 2D layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, making it 200x stronger than steel but incredibly lightweight – Nanoloom claim that it would actually take an elephant balanced on a pencil to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of cling film. Nanoloom extrudes its graphene solution into fibres that are hydrophobic but with moisture management properties, extreme strength and durability, elastic with shape memory and chemically recyclable.

NFW is a platform for plastic-free, naturally circular performance materials made from plants and minerals.

Single-use bottles and food packaging may be the first items to come to mind when discussing the plastic waste crisis, but the challenge is even more deeply rooted. Plastics now dominate the market for the materials we wear, carry, sit on and sleep in every day.

In 2022, the world produced 67 million tonnes of synthetic, plastic-based fibres from fossil fuels – more than half of all fibre production that year. Plastic harms the Earth at every step; from fossil fuel extraction and the high-energy costs of plastic production, to the continuous shedding of microplastics throughout manufacturing, normal use and end of life.

Plastic is the petroleum industry’s plan B. As renewables weaken fossil fuel’s grip on the energy market, plastic demand is projected to nearly double in G20 nations by 2050.* Just as we need an energy transition, we need a material transition away from fossil fuels. NFW’s biobased material platform is essential to decarbonizing the material economy and setting a new standard for circularity that is rooted in nature’s own design principles.

NFW has designed a nature-based material platform that ranges from leather alternatives (MIRUM) to shoe soles (PLIANTTM), using biogenic sequestered carbon from plants instead of fossil carbon from crude oil, coal, or natural gas. NFW’s patented biocurative enables unprecedented, plastic-free performance from biomaterials and can be reversed with simple mechanical tension (such as grinding). NFW materials can be safely and easily returned to the earth without costly deconstruction and material separation.

NFW has reused more than 44 tonnes of material scrap through its EndWell programme and displaced more than 294 tonnes of microplastic pollution.

Octarine Bio is a Danish biosolutions company harnessing nature’s processes to produce sustainable, non-toxic, vibrant dyes.

Colourful fabric is woven intricately and beautifully into our daily lives. But, as the world’s second largest polluting industry, textile production is under significant pressure to reduce its negative impact on people and planet. Among the key culprits is the manufacture and use of conventional synthetic dyes, due to its reliance on fossil resources, energy consumption, contamination of water systems, and use of toxic chemicals.

Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014, and apparel consumption is expected to rise by 60% by 2030. These trends emphasise the importance of reducing the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, and Octarine Bio is helping to make that possible with its palette of vibrant natural colours.

Using cell engineering and precision fermentation, Octarine Bio has created OB-CLR, a brilliant spectrum of non-toxic colours made from renewable feedstocks. Octarine’s dyes can easily drop into existing dye house infrastructure to enable a more sustainable dye process– operating at lower temperatures and with little to no chemicals. And with 50x higher colour strength than most synthetic and natural dyes, dyes houses require 50x less dye to reach an equivalent colour shade. OB-CLR colours can achieve vibrant and dark shades of purple, pink, blue, green, and orange, and are suitable for a wide range of fabrics.

Solena Materials is a biotechnology company leveraging AI to design high performance sustainable fibres made by microbes for market-leading apparel.

The global consumption of synthetic fibres has increased from a few thousand tonnes in 1940 to more than 60 million tonnes in 2018, and it continues to rise. Synthetic fibres cause problems with plastic pollution, including microplastic pollution from washing, due to their lack of biodegradability. Half a million tonnes of plastic microfibers enter our oceans each year.

With over 60 million tonnes of synthetic fibres produced annually and the fashion industry responsible for four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the need for eco-friendly alternatives has never been more critical. Solena’s biodegradable fibres are both sustainable and high-performing, and are poised to significantly contribute to the industry’s shift towards sustainability in the £98bn synthetic fibre market.

Solena Materials uses computational design to develop a new class of synthetic proteins from scratch. They design fibre proteins to have a spring-shape, providing toughness, that self-assembles into a liquid crystal (a stable state of matter between solid and liquid). Ensuring the springs are aligned in the fibre gives them incredible strength.

Solena produces these proteins using renewable feedstocks with a method similar to brewing. Their efficient manufacturing processes produce materials with fewer greenhouse gas emissions than existing natural and synthetic textile fibres without using hazardous or toxic chemicals.

Solena fibres can reduce global warming potential emissions by  66% compared to nylon, 87% compared to wool and 50% compared to polyester.

Spintex is a University of Oxford spin-out engineering high-performance silk textiles crafted from protein, drawing inspiration from the spinning techniques of spiders.

Natural protein fibres like wool, silk, and cashmere have the potential to lessen our reliance on plastic fibres by offering bio-sourced, safe, and biodegradable alternatives. Yet, their production currently demands hefty amounts of energy, water, and toxic chemicals, compromising their environmental benefits. Despite their unparalleled performance and feel, these materials won’t experience widespread adoption until we address their environmental footprint and production costs.

By harnessing renewable and low-impact insect derived proteins, Spintex can reduce dependence on plastic fibres, replacing them with a new generation of sustainable and high-performance protein fibres. Their low-energy, efficient process removes the major energy and production barriers of sustainable protein fibres. Spintex can offer accessible & affordable fibres that reduce emissions by up to 80%, use 10x less water, and use no toxic or harmful chemicals.

Spintex manufactures a liquid feedstock from sustainably derived insect protein and primarily renewable plant biomass, which is spun into fibres through a low-energy process, replicating how spiders spin their webs. Simply pulling on the feedstock forms the fibre, kickstarting a self-assembly process which uses less energy than a laptop. 1,000x more efficient than spinning a plastic fibre, Spintex fibres match the properties of silk, wool and cashmere, or can be turned into plastic-like films, gels and coatings. Made from protein, their materials biodegrade without a trace, and can be chemically recycled back into a new feedstock for processing again.

By replacing silk and wool, Spintex fibres can reduce emissions by up to 80%. Saving 33.5 millions tonnes of CO2 each year. And ten times less water is needed to produce Spintex materials, compared to traditional silks.

unspun is a fashion-tech B-Corp that has invented Vega, the world’s first 3D weaving technology for apparel.

Global fashion supply chains are grappling with a textile waste crisis, manifesting as unsold inventory waste, returns and cutting waste. It is estimated that anywhere between 21% – 40% of all garments produced are unsold, which are then destroyed or sent to landfills.

Due to lengthy supply chains and energy-intensive production methods, the global carbon emissions from the fashion industry supersedes emissions from the aviation and shipping industries combined. The industry also generates over 90 million tonnes of waste every year — the equivalent to a garbage truck full of clothes wasted every second. unspun’s goal is to reduce global carbon emissions by one per cent. They envision a world where every garment is made on-demand, eliminating waste and overproduction and reconnecting people with the clothing they wear.

unspun aims to streamline and localise fashion supply chains by setting up 3D weaving powered microfactories. Vega combines the weaving, cutting and sewing steps into one, fundamentally changing the way we manufacture and consume by going from yarn to finished garment all under one roof. unspun’s technology empowers fashion brands and retailers to manufacture products locally and within closer proximity to their customers.

This reduces the need for transportation and offers greater agility to react to market demands and inventory planning. Vega also designs products for circular reuse. The inherent seamlessness of 3D woven products preserves yarn length and integrity during the unweaving process, allowing them to be reused for a second life garment.

A garment created with the Vega supply chain results in -53% in CO2e emissions, -49% energy consumption and -39% water consumption.

“When it comes to adopting innovation, it all starts with the manufacturing process, in particular within the textiles sector,” said Amy.

“unspun is a great example of that. Vega which is the world’s first 3D weaving technology for apparel. They hope to deploy micro factories all around the world and for them to be located where brands are manufacturing their products. This means that supply chains will be localised and product will be made on-demand. This will lead to a huge reduction in carbon emissions and zero inventory waste.

“The hope is that in the future, they can un-weave the yarn, and then use that yarn to make new garments – hence the name ‘unspun’.”